Japan’s foreign aid agency has scrapped a cultural exchange initiative with African countries after an online misinformation campaign led to a torrent of complaints and fear of increased immigration.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) announced on Thursday that it will cancel the Africa Hometown scheme, after an episode that experts say illustrates the potential impact of fake news and populist narratives to shape migration policy.

Recommended Stories

list of 2 itemsend of list

Despite enforcing some of the world’s strictest immigration rules, Japan has seen growing hostility towards foreigners, even as its shrinking workforce raises concerns about future economic sustainability.

The Africa Hometown scheme paired four regional Japanese cities with communities in four African nations. It was designed to promote training and cultural understanding but was not linked to visas or migration.

However, an erroneous Nigerian government statement about a “special visa category” helped spur false claims online.

Critics of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba accused him on social media of plotting to bring “millions of Africans and Kurds” into Japan.

Before being debunked, the claim spread widely, helped by input from Elon Musk, the United States-based billionaire owner of X who has increasingly used the social media platform to spread such claims. He has been accused in several quarters of using far-right narratives to try to interfere in the politics of other countries.

Commenting on the claims regarding the Japanese scheme, he wrote: “If this continues, there will be no Japan, just some islands where Japanese people used to live.”

Advertisement

The resulting uproar forced local authorities to suspend normal operations as they struggled to handle a deluge of complaints.

JICA President Akihiko Tanaka said the backlash had overwhelmed participating municipalities.

“Reactions spread based on misunderstandings and confusion,” he told reporters in Tokyo. “The Africa Hometown initiative will be withdrawn.”

Local media reported that one city fielded as many as 200 angry calls a day.

Tanaka stressed that JICA will continue international exchange efforts, including with African partners, but underlined that the agency “does not deal with immigration issues”.

While politicians have acknowledged Japan’s ageing population requires more foreign labour, leaders remain cautious about opening permanent immigration channels.

Although immigrants account for only about 3 percent of Japan’s population, the “Japanese First” Sanseito party has gained traction with calls for tighter border controls.